'Just Be Grateful!'

Just Be Grateful
by Desiree Leigh, Wake Up to Live

I was perusing the internet to see what Thanksgiving meant to others. I was dumbfounded to see the criticism, mockery, righteousness, and blame, as well as strong advice in stern voices saying 'just be grateful!'

You can't tell someone to 'just be grateful' when they have a lot of blame, hate, guilt or shame lurking within them. They'll have to go through the process on their own. Making righteous comments won't work either. It'll make you look like a jack ass and them resist your opinions more. I see this over and over again with many, forcing the issue down someone's throat. When you feed your child a new vegetable or pablum, do you force it in their mouth, demanding that it's good for them and they'd better eat it? I'd hope not.

How do we get to the true feelings of gratitude and not the gratitude that is a facade? Understanding and empathy of others breed acceptance and gratitude. If you want someone to be truly grateful, lend them your ear rather than your tongue. Listen to them rather than forcefully stuff your words down their throat.

Many of us are plainly righteous, wanting to force our ways into changing someone in hopes to make a better human being or world. Instead, we should be looking at ourselves and our way of thinking. Who is it that I must be to spread gratitude? It's easy to push something on someone else. First, try it on yourself. I'll bet a lot more compassion will seep out and into your words and shower the one's around you where true gratitude will automatically flow. Your 'just be grateful' will no longer be needed.

Wake Up to Live with Desiree Leigh